U.S. soldiers and Iraqi Public Order Brigade troops search houses in Zafaraniya, Iraq, as part of Operation Flea Flicker on Sept. 14. Photo by Spc. Ben Brody, USA(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

The operation - conducted by soldiers from 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and from the Iraqi Public Order Brigade - was designed to disrupt anti-Iraqi activity in the area in preparation for the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum, officials said.

During the early morning mission, the joint force swept through neighborhoods searching for illegal weapons, propaganda and other contraband. Troops discovered several minor weapons violations, and detained a man with a 60 mm mortar round in a plastic bag under his bed.

Also, Iraqi and coalition forces detained two suspected insurgents in Ramadi Sept. 14. Troops from 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, and U.S. soldiers detained two men engaged in suspicious activity during a combined combat patrol. Upon searching their residence, they found one homemade bomb, two AK-47 assault rifles and one machine gun.

In the air over Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 38 close air support and armed reconnaissance sorties Sept. 14. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities, and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities, U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials said.

Coalition aircraft also supported Iraqi and coalition ground operations. U.S. Air Force F-16s provided close air support to coalition troops near Muqdadiyah.

Ten U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. U.S Air Force fighter aircraft also performed in a nontraditional ISR role with their electro-optical and infrared sensors, officials said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and U.S. Central Command Air Forces news releases.